Jackie Frost
by Jenn Malfoy-Lewis
Summary: This is not a normal fanfic! In this story, Jack Frost is a girl and instead of a staff, she has a ring. A similar adventure with a new take. Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

"Who are you?" Charlie asked in wonder. I mean, I suppose he had god reason to be. I was a stranger to him, simply standing in his bedroom. For all I know, he could have thought I was a pedophile!

"The name's Jacqueline," I said, pinning my white hair up with a glittery snowflake clip. "You can call me Jackie. But most people call me Jack."

He stared at me with humorous incredulity. "Jack?" he asked.

"Jack," I said. "Jack Frost."

For a moment, his face was blank in shock as he tried to piece together what I was saying. "Ja-Jack Frost? But-but…I thought Jack Frost was a boy!" he stuttered.

"Hm," I said, crossing my arms over my chest. "Yeah, I know. Everyone does. But that doesn't stop you from believing in me." I smiled at him and shifted my weight to my other foot. I couldn't help laughing a bit at his expression. It was just so priceless!

"You-you're real?" he asked.

"Of course I am, silly!" I laughed. "We're all real!"

"_We_?" he asked.

I nodded, still smiling at him. I surely must look crazy to this kid! "You know, Santa, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, Sandman, leprechauns," I said with a wave of my hand. "You know, the ones who make you happy all the time? The ones you believe in?"

He just stared at me.

"Oh, come on, Charlie, you know? You don't believe me? Aren't I proof enough?" I asked, beginning to feel worn down and sad. _So_ that's _how they all feel_, I thought.

"How-how do you know my name?" he asked quietly.

"Because I'm Jack Frost," I replied, less enthusiastic than before. "I know everyone. I know you and you brothers, Emerson, Jason, and Kenneth, and I know your best friend, Levvy, and I know her little sister, Emma. I know all the kids in this town, this state, this country, in the world." I paused, wishing I had some of Sandy's powder with me. "Who do you think makes it snow?" I asked him.

"I don't know, the clouds and the cold air?" he said.

"No, me," I said, saving the explanation. "I make the air cold and I make it snow. Remember last week, that blizzard that got you out of school? That was me." I sighed, suddenly feeling worn and tired. And irritable.

He smiled, making me narrow my eyes. "Jack Frost is really real?" he asked as if still trying to grasp it.

"Yes!" I said, grabbing his warm hand in my own cold hand. "Yes, I'm real! See?" I placed his hand on my cheek.

He stared at me, looking into my eyes and making me feel slightly awkward. "You know, I never thought I'd say this, but you have really pretty eyes," he said.

I smiled embarrassedly and blushed, stepping away from him. "Thank you, but why did you never think you'd get to say that?" I asked.

"'Cause I didn't think you were real," he replied, sitting down on his bed again.

"Well I am," I said. "And now I have to go."

He stared at me. "But-but why?" he asked.

"Because, I have a Boogie Man to take care of," I said, a smile coming onto my lips.

"A what?" he breathed.

"That's right," I said. "And Charlie, I need you to keep believing in them."

"Them? But what about you?" he asked, getting up.

"Don't worry about me," I said, climbing onto the windowsill. "Just worry about the Guardians. Santa, Bunny, Tooth, and Sandy. Believe."

"Jack, wait!" he cried, grabbing my wrist.

"I have to go," I said, pulling my wrist out of his tight grip. "Good night." I reached behind my head and took a small snowflake from my clip, then blew it at him. It landed on his nose, and he blinked sleepily at me.

"Good night," he said, backing into his bed.

I watched him fall back to sleep, sighing to myself as I left. I looked at my ring and frowned a little; the light was definitely fading away. I clenched my fist and started looking for one of the Guardians, any of them, but stopped in midair when I heard my name being called. It was just so helpless…and familiar. "Jackie!" the voice called, small and distant. It sounded so childish and in need; I looked around, trying to find the source of the voice. "Jackie!" I heard again. I spun around and zoomed towards the voice, but Pitch's shadows were everywhere. My fear was not of them, but for the child calling me. But how do they know my name?

I stopped again, listening for the voice once more to guide me. "Jackie!" I turned around towards the voice. It was now a scream that made me want to cry.

"I'm coming!" I cried, racing towards the scream. The cries and whimpers led me to a well, boarded up but with a hole in the middle.

"Jackie!" the small voice cried, and I had a flash of who I was. Who I used to be. I saw a girl, standing on a frozen lake. She screamed my name, Jackie, but before I could remember anything else, it went away. "Jackie, please!" the voice cried. I leapt over the edge headfirst and dove into the well, following the voice. After coming out of a dark passage, the first thing I saw was a cage full of Tooth's Baby fairies. They all started chattering when they saw me, and I shook my head quickly.

"No, no, sh!" I said, "I'll get you out, just keep quiet." They all fell silent, and I heard my name again. "I'll get you out as soon as possible…" I went towards the voice slowly, unsure of what I'd find. What I saw made me gasp.

I saw Pitch, standing on the pile of teeth he'd stolen. After I got over the initial shock, I glared at him and instinctively fingered my ring. "What are you doing?" I asked.

He opened his mouth and his lips moved, but it wasn't his voice. It was the child's voice I'd heard before. "Jackie," he moaned. "You came."

I set myself on the floor, my stomach lurching. _So it was a trap_. "It was you?"

He smiled coldly and leapt down, landing without a sound. "I had to get you here some way or another, right?" he said, stepping closer to me.

"What do you want?" I asked, glaring at him.

"I want you," he said simply.

I just stared at him, unsure of what he wanted from me. "Me? Why me?" I asked nervously.

"We can do great things together, Jack," he said, stepping closer to me again. "Can't you just imagine? Me and you together…we could take down the Guardians."

While his offer was more than tempting, I knew I couldn't let them down. But they didn't even want me…or at least, Bunny didn't. And I was starting to get the horrible feeling I was letting Santa down somehow… "Never," I said.

He just smirked and stepped even closer. We were only inches apart, and it made me feel strange… I mean, I was supposed to hate him. He was our enemy… But I didn't hate him at the moment. "I'll make you a deal, Jacqueline," he said, taking me aback by using my full name. "You come with me, and I'll give you what you yearn for." He waved his hand and, in a puff of black sandy powder, he suddenly had a golden capsule in his hands. I looked at it, and my eyes must have given me away. "I know you want this," he said. "You know what it is."

"My teeth," I answered quietly.

"That's right," he said. "You can have them. But only if you join me. We can do marvelous, terrible things together."

As tempting as his offer was, I stood my ground. "No," I said defiantly.

"What?"

"No," I said again. "I won't join you. I was chosen by The Man in the Moon, and I'm not going to let him down. I'm not going to let the Guardians down."

His face immediately grew angry, and I jumped out of his way as he screamed in fury and swung his scythe. "Jack!" he cried after me, jumping in pursuit of me.

I squealed and ducked out of his way again as he tried to hit me. _They want me to be a Guardian and I can't even fight?_ I thought to myself. _I'm not meant for this! _I jumped as he roared, and I shot ice his way. He easily blocked it with his cloud of nightmares, and I just threw more. It burst into shards that flew everywhere and my first instinct was to cover the Baby fairies. A sheet of ice flew out of my palm and towards them, just in time to protect them from the ice. But of course, I forgot to shield myself and as a result, got slashed over my exposed stomach. Pitch didn't laugh or attack as I had expected him to; instead, he stopped flinging nightmare dust my way for a moment. His hesitation gave me the opportunity to gain the upper hand and I blew icy air towards him from the center of my palm. Not reacting in time, he was blown back onto the pile of golden capsules. He roared again and I grabbed my teeth that had fallen and rolled my way. He reached up towards the sky and a buzzing cloud of nightmares formed his scythe in his hand, and he threw it at me with a violent shout. Quickly gathering the draft from inside the well together, I pushed his scythe up and away from me. When it was high enough, I blew more cold air from my palm, freezing it in midair. I leapt up and grabbed it, hurling it back at him with surprising accuracy. He cried out in shock and shadowed himself, slipping away and under me. Unsure if I could freeze a shadow, I hovered in midair for a while until he shot himself up at me, tackling me to the ground. I screamed and kicked him off of me, darting out of the chamber room and out of the well, still grasping the capsule with my teeth in it tightly. I rode the cold front up and away, flying without stopping to the park I was supposed to have met the Guardians at.

My heart was pounding as I set myself down. I looked around the park and to my discontent, and even horror, I saw long faced kids and broken eggshells. I swallowed nervously and made my way to Santa and Bunny. "Where have you been?" Santa rumbled.

"Um…I-I was–"

"What is that?" Bunny asked solemnly, nodding towards the capsule in my hands.

Tooth gasped from somewhere behind Santa. "Jackie, that's not…that's not your teeth, is it?" she asked, knowing that it was exactly that.

"You were with him?" Bunny asked.

"I…No, I was-I can explain," I stuttered, but they were all disappointed.

"Easter was ruined…because you were being selfish…" he said. "You're always thinking about yourself… You were supposed to help us and we'd help you… Now kids don't believe in me. Because of you."

"No, if you just let me explain–"

"Stop," Santa said, making me feel small. "I'm not sure what the Man in the Moon saw in you yet, but you need to pull yourself together, Jacqueline."

I felt terrible. It was like I was being scolded. Everyone was so disappointed in me… But I thought I was helping… I stared at the ground, feeling more miserable than when I had started.

"Now they don't believe, Jack!" Bunny cried angrily. "They don't believe in me anymore!"

"They've never believed in me!" I cried, tears in my eyes.

Everyone was silent for a while, then Bunny spoke up again. "Why would they believe in something so useless?" he said rhetorically.

I unintentionally let out a sob and covered my mouth. "Whatever, I always make a mess of things anyway," I said and flew off. I heard vague cries of "Jackie!" after me but didn't stop.


	2. Chapter 2

Never had I felt more unwanted in my life. I knew I did it to myself, but it still felt completely horrible. My only real friends, the only people who could see me, and I let them down worse than anything I'd ever done. I flew to the South Pole, setting myself on the tip of an iceberg as I cried. I nearly forgot about the slash on my stomach, only remembering about it when I pulled my hand away and saw the blood. This just made me more upset: What was I going to do about this? My magic couldn't heal this; it can't heal anything. So I just sat there, crying hopelessly and wishing for Baby Tooth's company again.

"You're such a screw up," I sobbed to myself. "No wonder no one likes you…"

"You clumsy, useless little girl." I stopped crying. It was my voice, but I hadn't said it. I turned around and saw Pitch behind me. I cried out in surprise and jumped up, hovering in the air in front of him. "Jackie, you're bleeding," he said, in his own voice. But it was thick with sarcasm and mockery.

"I know," I said simply, wiping my face.

"And you're crying," he said, shockingly more sincere. Unless it was another trap…

"So?" I asked rhetorically. "You see people cry all the time. Isn't that what you live for?"

"Well, yes of course, but–"

"Then why am I any different than them?" I asked angrily.

"Because I care about you, Jack," he said, stepping closer to me. "I want you… I want you on my team. You invigorate me, Jack. I know with your help, we can take them down."

And he knew too well that that was exactly what I wanted. I wanted them to fail. Then they'd see… They'd wish they'd listened to me. Pitch's words from earlier came back to me: _We can do marvelous, terrible things together… _"What's in it for me?" I asked.

He smiled evilly and took my hand. "Anything you want," he said, our faces close.

"Anything I want?" I repeated quietly.

"Anything you want." He put his hand on my stomach where the slash began and ran his thumb over the length of the cut. As his skin touched mine, the deep cut healed, inside and out. I immediately felt better, and I just couldn't help keeping our gaze. I stared up into his inhuman yellow eyes, and he stared back down into my icy blue ones. "What _do_ you want?" he asked softly, breaking the silence.

"I don't know," I replied, just as softly. "I'll let you know when I figure it out."

His lips curled up into a smile. "So does this mean you're on my team?" he asked hopefully.

"I don't know," I said again.

He looked disappointed by my indecisiveness. Here we go again… "Jackie, what can go better than cold and dark?" he asked. "We can create such marvelous things! Didn't you see what you did to me before?"

I nodded tentatively. "Yes, but why would I want that?" I asked.

` "We can turn that into something better!" he said, taking both of my hands in his. "We can use it on the Guardians. Think about what they did to you, Jacqueline. Think about how they hurt you. Don't you want them to feel hurt too? Don't you want them to feel hurt like you?"

Tears filled my eyes again, and I nodded. "Yes," I choked.

"Then let me help you," he said. I set myself on the ground and looked down, but he lifted my chin up. "We can do so much together. Just come with me and I can help you destroy them."

I was torn between his offer and what I knew I was supposed to do. _Oh, please! They hardly appreciate you!_ I thought to myself. _They need to know what it's like… But The Man in the Moon chose you for a reason! Stop it! You're not supposed to give up on your friends! _

"Jackie, think about it. You and I are more alike than you think," he said. I watched his lips move, knowing what he was saying was true. "You and I… Don't you want to be believed in?"

I nodded silently, a tear falling from my eye and coursing down my cheek.

Pitch wiped it away with much gentler hands than I would have expected. "Every child across the world will believe in us, they will know our names," he said softly.

"But they'll be afraid of us–"

"No, Jack, they'll _believe_," he said.

I shook my head. "Fear is not the same thing, Pitch," I said, taking a step back. "I want kids to know me for the great things I do, like snow days and incredible sled rides."

"But Jack, we can do great things! You saw what I was like in there, that great passion I had," he said, grasping my shoulders. "We can turn that into something much better. I can help you become believed in! Do you not want that?"

"Of course I do," I said quietly. "But I want to be believed in, not feared."

He brought his face closer to mine and said, "I can do that for you. Just give me the chance." His hands moved down my arms to my hips. His hands were cold, but I knew mine were still colder.

My breath hitched slightly as I looked at him. I wanted so badly to say yes… After some silent thought, I realized the decision truly wasn't that hard. I wanted to be believed in. I put one of my hands on his chest and reached up on tip toe to kiss his cheek. "No one has ever made me feel like I mattered," I said. "An occasional child here and then, but that's it. The fact that you would even offer makes me want to join you." A small, victorious smile brightened his face a little. _And there I go again, making a mess of things_, I thought. "But I can't let them down even more. I need to fix this. So instead, I have an offer for you. If you join _us_, you can have me."

He stared down at me in shock, his eyes glassing over. "What?" he breathed.

"I…I don't want you to get hurt, but this isn't right," I said, looking down. "I would like to be with you, but I want you to be on our side."

"Jackie, no, they-they don't even appreciate you!" he said. I could tell he was growing uneasy and angry and nervous, and it made me a little frightened of him. "You're going to remain with them when they don't even like you? Bunny doesn't like you, that's obvious. Santa doesn't think you're worth it; he doesn't know why you've been chosen to be a Guardian. And what about Tooth Fairy? You've disappointed her. How can you expect to face her without seeing her disappointment?"

I started to cry again, shaking my head. "That's why I have to fix it," I said.

"No, no, they won't accept you," he said, wiping my tears again. "I can give you everything you want!"

I shook my head and wiped my face. "Then I'll just have to prove it to them on my own," I said.

He shook his head in disbelief. "No, Jackie, please–"

I shook my head too and briefly pressed my lips to his, cutting him off. Everything in my body suddenly rose above 32º; this wasn't going as I'd expected. I wasn't supposed to want to stay here with him, but I did. I was even more reluctant to leave because of how eager he was to kiss me back. It was an immediate reaction that made me feel incredible and horrible at the same time. I pulled my lips from his, brushing them against his. "Please join us," I said quietly. "I don't want to fight you."

He was silent for a long time, but he suddenly grew frighteningly angry. "No! This is your last chance!" he roared, pushing me away from him roughly. I cried out and fell to the ground, backing away from him.

"Pitch, please!" I squealed.

"Pitch, please!" he said, mocking me.

"I'm sorry, please!" I said, backing away more as he came towards me. I shielded myself with my hands, thinking he would hit me, but he grabbed my wrist and pulled me up roughly. He pulled off my ring and held it above my head, despite my pleas for it back. He was so much stronger than I thought… He crushed my ring in his palm, and I felt an incredible pain in my chest. I screamed and put my hand to my chest, my knees buckling beneath me. But he still had my wrist in his grip, so my arm was above my head while I was on the ground. He dropped my crushed ring in front of me and let go of my wrist with disgust, pushing me away with his boot-clad foot. I tumbled over the edge of the iceberg, screaming Pitch's name as I went down.

I hit the ground hard, landing between the base of the iceberg and an even taller wall of ice, every breath being knocked out of me. I gasped for air and saw my ring come flying down, landing with a clatter beside me. I arched my back, trying to relieve some pain in my spine as I took well-needed breaths, and Pitch's face peered over the edge. "I'm sorry, Jack, but this has to be done," he shouted down to me. He then tossed something else down to me, and it landed on my stomach.

"Baby Tooth," I gasped.

She groaned and whined, opening her eyes and sitting up. She started chattering, hovering above my head and putting her tiny hand on my face.

"Are you okay?" I asked, still trying to catch my breath. She nodded and flew around my head, chattering nervously. "Sh, everything will be okay." I sat up and rested my hand on my chest, the pain from when Pitch crushed my ring still strong. I picked it up and looked at it through tear-clouded eyes. It was terribly disfigured and the diamond in the middle was broken. There was definitely no glow anymore. I started to cry again, something that seemed to come easily to me today, and held my ring. "I have no more powers," I sobbed. Baby Tooth whimpered and crawled into my pocket. I screamed in frustration, wishing more than ever that everyone would fail.

Baby Tooth crawled out of my pocket, pulling with her the golden capsule with my teeth in it. She dropped it in my lap and hovered in front of my face, pointing down at it. I looked down and picked it up, running my finger over the gemmed top. I looked up at Baby Tooth again, and she nodded encouragingly. She put her hand over one of the gems, and I suddenly flashed back to who I was.

I saw myself and a young girl leaving a tiny cottage. I looked as old as I did now: 17. The girl looked no more tan seven or eight. It was cold out, and there was snow on the ground, just the way I liked it. "We'll be back later, Mother!" I called, taking the younger girl by the hand. I followed them down to a frozen lake, where they played a game. They pushed flat rocks out as far as they could across the lake, laughing and smiling as they talked and competed. I looked at my hand and saw the ring that was now crushed in my pocket, and tears welled in my eyes again. The younger me pushed out a rock with a stick, pushing it farther than any other rocks on the ice.

"Hey!" the younger girl squealed, laughing as she picked up another flat rock. "That's cheating!" She stepped carefully onto the ice and dropped the rock, then kicked it, sending it even farther than my own.

"_That's_ cheating!" I laughed. "Now come back here."

The younger girl kept going out even farther. "But this is fun! We should have brought our skates!"

"No, Emilie, come back here," I said seriously. "We didn't bring our skates for a reason."

"Why?" she asked.

"Because I said so, now get back here right now!" I said. Knowing myself better than anyone, I could see the fear on my face, and I stepped closer to the lake. "Emilie," I whispered, suddenly remembering my little sister.

"But that's not–" She stopped as a loud crack was heard beneath her. Her big eyes widened as she looked down and saw cracks spider webbing through the ice. "Jackie!" she squealed.

"Emilie!" I cried, running out to her. Of course, that was a pinhead move; the ice began to crack under me too. "Emilie, its okay, you'll be okay." I looked down and took a tentative step towards her, hearing the cracks beneath my feet.

"Jackie!"

"Emilie, don't worry, okay? How about we play hopscotch?" I asked her.

"What? Jackie, please!" she cried frightenedly, looking around the lake.

"Come on, let's play hopscotch like we do with Chad and Brittany," I said. "Like this." I took a huge leaping step towards the edge of the lake, hearing the cracks. "One…" I took another, "Two…" and one more, "Three. See? Just like that," I said.

Emilie looked around again and took a small step towards me. "One," she said in a small voice. She took another small step, sliding a little and almost losing her balance. She started to cry when she heard more cracks. "Two," she said, looking down at the ice.

"Come on, just one more," I said, planning on grabbing her when she was in reach.

"Jackie, I'm sorry," she sobbed.

"No, no, sh," I said. "Stop crying, we'll be fine, I promise. Come on, just one more…"

She took another small step, sliding towards me. I pulled her towards me, but still being on the ice, I went out towards the middle as she went to the edge. "Jackie!" Emilie screamed, the same scream I had heard that lured me to Pitch's lair. In just a few seconds, I heard Emilie scream, ice crack, and right where I had been standing was a huge hole in the ice. "Jackie!" Emilie screamed again.

Remembering everything now, I couldn't bear to watch anymore, so I opened my eyes to see Baby Tooth still hovering in front of me. "Oh my God, did you see that?" I asked breathily. She shook her head. "I know why he picked me now," I said, looking up at the sky. "I know why The Man in the Moon wanted me to be a Guardian now." Baby Tooth smiled at me and pried my hand open. She held up my ring to my face, and I took it from her. "We have to get out of here so we can help the others," I said, trying to open m ring up again. I groaned with the harsh effort of bending metal with my bare hands, but it suddenly became as easy as spaghetti. While it was once again round, I was unsure what I'd do about the gem in the middle. I ran my finger over it, and a blue light shone from between the tip of the iceberg and the ledge of the wall. I saw the edge of the moon and smiled. "Thank you!" I cried as the gem in my ring was repaired.

The glow wasn't very bright still, but it looked so much brighter than it had before. "Come on, Baby Tooth," I said, putting my ring on. I kissed her tiny cheek, making her blush, and leapt out of the ice canyon we were in. "We got a Boogie Man to stop!"


	3. Chapter 3

I was perched on Charlie's roof, looking for any of the Guardians. Hearing sleigh bells, I looked up and saw Santa's sled. I smiled a little at Baby Tooth and launched myself up, flying after them. I sat down silently at the rear of the sled and cleared my throat, causing everyone to turn around and look at me. "What are you doing here?" Bunny asked, violently jumping up and towards me. I jumped up too, afraid he'd literally kill me.

"I just wanted to say I was sorry!" I said quickly, shielding myself with my arms.

"Sorry? You're sorry?" Bunny asked accusingly. "Get out!"

I jumped up, letting the sled fly by beneath me, but I flew right after it. "I found my center!" I called. The sled stopped and I flew right into it, groaning as the pain from falling before came back. "I found my center. And I know why The Man in the Moon chose me to be a Guardian." My heart was pounding and I looked at all three of them expectantly, but each moment of silence deterred my confidence.

After a while, Bunny spoke up again. "And let me guess, you figured that out from your teeth?" he asked bitterly.

"Yes," I said boldly. "And I don't care if you hate me for it, but I'm willing to help you. I'll be honest with you; I don't feel welcome at all in your presence." Tooth opened her mouth to speak, but I put my hand up to stop her. "I'm trying but what I do doesn't seem to be enough for you. But nonetheless, I'm going to help you. I've spent the first 300 years of my existence alone, no one believing in me. I gave up being known to help you. I almost accepted a deal Pitch made me, you know, but because of you guys, I declined. After watching the memories from my teeth, I realized that the children are more important to me than being known. Keeping the children safe from Pitch is more important to me than kids knowing my name. That's what the Guardians are about. Whether you'll accept me after this or not, I want to help. I saved my sister, now I want to save everyone else."

Everyone just stared at me. I was suddenly self conscious of what I'd said. I sighed quietly and sat at the rear of the sled again, everyone still staring at me. Bunny was looking at me the most intently, and I felt like if he stared at me any longer he'd bore holes in me. Then he'd see what I had done with Pitch… "Well I suppose we don't have time to waste with petty arguments like this," he said, sitting down again. Tooth watched me as I shuffled to a corner of the sled, away from Bunny, then she sat down as well. Santa finally turned around after a few more seconds and started the sled again, and soon we were off.

I wasn't sure where we were headed, but it really didn't matter because we ended up staying where we were. Pitch's nightmares were now crawling all over the town, riding across rooftops and slipping into windows, running around the streets below, and whinnying spine-tingling sounds. "We need to help them," Tooth said, peering over the edge of the sled.

I felt obligated to help them, so I dove out of the sled to protect against the nightmare clouds. "Jacqueline!" I heard Santa bellow after me. I always hated it when he used my full name. It made me feel so small and made me feel like he was my father… My father used to scold me like that… I remember…

From above them, I blew a gust of freezing air at the nightmare horse shadows, stopping them in their places. I didn't know what I'd to with them; I couldn't just leave them there! But Bunny suddenly came flying down from the sled and threw his boomerang, beheading and shattering many frozen shadow horses at a time. When he caught it in his hand again, he turned around to look at me, and I couldn't help smiling at him. "Thanks," I said.

He nodded and smiled. "No problem," he said. "Watch out!"

I turned around and was knocked out of the sky by something. Or _someone_, rather. I screamed and tried to kick whoever was on top of me off, but he was much stronger. But of course, I knew that. "Get off of me!" I screamed.

"Stop screaming," he hissed. "I just want to ask you a simple question and then I'll let you go."

I cried out once more with one final violent kick and fell silent and still, looking up into the inhuman yellow eyes I had stared into earlier that day. "What do you want, Pitch?" I spat angrily.

"Sh, don't be angry at me," he said in a gentle tone.

"How can you not expect me to be angry at you?" I asked furiously. "You threw me over the edge and left me for dead!"

"Because that's what you do to me, Jack," he said. "You make me so crazy, I can't stand you."

I glared hard at him. "Then what the hell are you doing here?" I asked.

"My question," he said. "Did you do what you did before to make me surrender?"

My glare softened and I looked past him towards the dimming stars. Finally, after a long silence, I shook my head.

I felt his eyes on my face but couldn't bring myself to look at him. As angry as I was at him, I couldn't help wanting to kiss him again. "So then why did you do it?" he asked.

"Why else would you kiss someone?" I asked rudely.

He was quiet for a while then shrugged. "I don't know. You tell me," he said.

I looked at him curiously. "Huh?"

"You can't say you love me because you don't," he said. "There has to be another reason. Was it to throw me off? To make me _think_ you loved me so I'd go with you and you could take me down?" With every word, his grip pinning my wrists down became more firm as he made himself angrier.

I cried out in pain and shook my head. "No! No, it wasn't to throw you off! I promise!" I choked.

"Then why did you do it?" he asked angrily. "You don't love me! You would have joined me if you loved me, not stayed with those scumbag under appreciators! I can appreciate you, Jack!"

I felt like he'd snap my wrists at any moment, and a choked cry escaped my throat. "Stop!" I cried, "I do love you! I do, but not when you're trying to torment little kids!"

This just made him angrier, and he roared and pinned my arms down even harder than I could imagine him to be. I screamed and tried to kick him off of me, but of course to no avail. "But that's what I do!" he yelled at me. "That's what I do and you know this! You don't love me!"

"I do," I sobbed, "I do, but not when you're being mean like this. You're hurting me! Let me go!" I screamed again, hearing it echo through the houses in the town.

He let go of me and sat back on his haunches to observe what he'd done. I had red hand marks on my wrists and knew I'd get bruises there later on. I stayed lying on the ground, rubbing my wrists and crying, mostly because I was afraid of him. "Jackie, I'm sorry," he said quietly, watching me.

"No you're not! I hate you! Get out of here before the Guardians come!" I cried.

But he stood where he was. "I'm sorry," he said again, and though I could hear sincerity in his voice, I didn't accept his apology. "Jackie, please, I'm sorry."

I sat up and wiped my eyes after a while, still rubbing my wrists. "You really hurt me," I said through hiccups, glaring at him.

"I know, I'm sorry," he said, kneeling in front of me. "But now do you see what I mean? You make me crazy, insane, mad! I can't stand you, I can't stand the thought of you, but then I look at the mess I've made and feel terrible. I'm sorry, Jack, I really am." He wiped away some tears that were falling, and I sniffled and looked away.

"I hate you," I said.

"No you don't."

"No I don't."

"You don't love me either."

"Yes I do. It's you who doesn't love me," I said.

"Yes I do," he said.

"Then why do you keep hurting me so badly?" I asked accusingly.

"Because…" He thought for a moment, then said, "Because I think that if I hurt you badly enough, I'll forget about you."

"That's stupid," I said harshly.

"I know."

"Then why do you keep doing it?" I asked with mild disbelief.

He just shrugged.

"I hate you," I said again.

This time he kept silent. I rubbed my wrists again; they already felt sore and it looked like there was a bruise forming already. I shifted myself into a more comfortable position, knowing that I should be going to help the Guardians instead of sitting around with our enemy and the man who tried to kill me.

"Why can't you just stop this?" I asked him.

He shrugged. "You know, I was once like you," he began. "I wasn't always shadows and gloom. I was a sandman. Yes, there were more than one at that time. But then something happened…" I saw his eyes glass over again, only this time it was because of reminiscence. "The true Boogie Man came and destroyed almost all of us. There were three of us left: Sandy, Rebekka, and myself. Rebekka's lover had been killed, so she…she killed herself." He paused, as if trying to remember something. "The other sandmen and I had tried so hard to defend us, but the Boogie Man's gases took everyone over. After Rebekka died, there was just the two of us, Sandy and me. I thought what I had done was enough to make me a Guardian, but instead they took Sandy and left me with nothing. No friends, no family, no home…

"That's when I became this," he said, gesturing at himself. "I wasn't known to anybody… I had nothing… I was alone and upset and angry, and one day I decided to take the place of the Boogie Man. I decided to be a _better_ Boogie Man than he himself ever was, or ever will be."

I was silent for a while. Though I hadn't asked, he just shared his story with me. I didn't want to say something wrong, so I kept silent for a while. But a question was gnawing at the back of my mind. "Is that why you killed Sandy?" I asked quietly.

He took a while to answer, which was to be expected, I suppose. "Yes," he said simply, quietly.

I nodded and moved closer to him, feeling that strange desire to kiss him again. I got up on my knees and gently stroked his cheek, then placed my lips on his. He again reacted immediately, making me feel wonderful and terrible at the same time. God, how Santa, Tooth, and Bunny would be disappointed in me! But I didn't care anymore. I finally wasn't alone, and if being with him would make him stop then I'll be with him, no matter how disapproving the others were. I felt his hands on my hips again, and both of mine slid to the back of his neck. It was as if he'd never laid a malicious hand on me. I could feel his cold hand on the bare skin of my stomach and sides, and I liked how it felt. I slid my hand down to his chest, gently tugging his shirt open. He slipped his hands under my shirt, pulling it up over my head. "They're going to hate me," I murmured, tangling my hand in his hair.

"Only for a little while," he said, kissing me again. I didn't know what that meant, but I honestly didn't care. All I cared about was Pitch.


	4. Chapter 4

I laid next to Pitch with my head on his chest and his arm around my shoulder. It was odd to listen to his heartbeat. I wouldn't have thought him to have one. Not because he didn't have a heart, but because we were all already dead. We were just spirits children believed in come to life. I sighed contentedly, then sat up after a while. "We should go," I said, groping the grass around me for my shirt.

He sat up and looked at me. "Are you serious?" he asked.

"Yes." I pulled my shirt on, then stood up and pulled my shorts on. "I'm sorry, but they're probably looking for me," I said.

He stared at me in disbelief. "You're still going to go back with them after this?" he asked disappointedly.

"Well what do you expect me to do?" I asked. "Are you going to stop what you're doing to these children?" He stayed silent, looking down at his hands. "I thought so…"

"Jack, please, don't spoil this," he pleaded.

"I'm sorry, but I have to go. Maybe I'll see you later," I said. I kneeled down in front of him again and kissed him, and he trapped me in his arms, encircling my waist. "Pitch, please let me go," I said, part of me hoping he wouldn't listen. He didn't; instead, he kissed me again. I responded and kissed him back, despite knowing I had to go. "Pitch, I have to go. I'll see you later, okay?" I said, taking his arms from around my waist.

He held onto my hands tightly, shaking his head. "Jackie, I'm too far into this hole," he said. "I can't get myself out. I don't think I'll see you later. This is it."

I frowned sadly and shook my head. "This isn't it, Pitch," I said. "Don't say that. Just tell them what you told me and they'll let you go."

He shook his head. "No they won't," he said quietly. "They hardly let me go the first time. I'm not getting away with this one."

"Sh, stop," I said, putting my finger over his lips. "We'll be fine."

"How do you know?" he asked.

"Because I do," I said.

"That's not a reason," he said.

I sighed. This was how the conversation between Emilie and me went before… "It is a reason," I said. "If you love me, you won't question us meeting again."

"Okay," he said quietly. It was in this moment that I truly realized who Pitch was, and I couldn't feel worse for him.

"I'll see you later," I said. I kissed him once more before getting up, but he grabbed my hand to stop me again. "Pitch…"

"Just one more thing before you go," he said. "Before I was…_this_, my name was Daniel."

I thought about it for a moment, then nodded. "Thank you," I said. "For sharing that with me."

He nodded too and let me go, then turned himself into a shadow and slipped away, leaving me alone on the hill.


	5. Chapter 5

I landed silently in front of the children prepared to fight. This wasn't how it was supposed to happen; I wanted to cry. There were the children behind me, the Guardians behind them, and Pitch in front of me. We had to fight, but the soreness between my thighs reminded me of how little I wanted to. I don't think anyone knew but us, Pitch and me. We stared at each other for a long time, everyone waiting to see who'd make the first move. Knowing I was sensitive, Pitch made the first move, pulling together a ridged scythe and charging towards us.

I threw ice onto the ground beneath his feet and he slipped, falling to the ground and sliding to my feet. I didn't move though. I just stared down at him. While his face was furious and violent, his eyes were sad and miserable. He roared and swung his scythe, and I faintly heard, "Jacqueline!" bellowed behind me. I gathered the draft and pushed it upward, sending the scythe out of his reach. I leapt up and grabbed it, then hurled it at his nightmares behind him. As dust clashed with dust, I did what I could to protect the children behind me, throwing a thin sheet of ice up as a wall. While some of the nightmares turned to mud, the others made it past and to the kids.

"Charlie!" I called. He looked up quickly. "They're just bad dreams! Don't let them scare you!"

"Okay!" He looked towards the nightmares, and his brothers and his friends took a stand beside him. As one of the nightmares approached him, Charlie put his hands up in protection, and the horse turned to the same gold dust Sandy used to use. He smiled and looked at his friends, and they charged the nightmares, turning them all to golden dust.

"What?" Pitch roared beneath me. With a violent cry, he launched himself up at me. Expecting this, I blew icy air from my palm at him, sending him spiraling backwards. "Jack!" He shot himself up after me and I flew away to a nearby rooftop. After being nearly knocked out of the sky by a flying ball of dust, I landed with a tumbling roll on the roof of a building, glad for the flat top. "You think kids can save you?" he asked mockingly when he'd landed. "They're just children."

"Children who can always see the good in the world," I said. "Children who believe, not fear."

I could have sworn I saw a small smile flicker on his face, but within the blink of an eye, it was gone. "Oh, innocent children," he said, beginning to pace in front of me. "They don't know the true horrors of the world. The ones I have no need of causing. Murder, thievery, divorce, stress, love…" I swallowed and watched him, trying to predict his next attack. I couldn't even tell if he really meant what he was saying.

"They have no need to fear such things if taught about them properly," I said, still watching him closely.

"Education has nothing to do with fear, Jack," he said. "It's how you live that determines it."

I just watched him, following him with my eyes. I didn't want to hut him, but I knew that everyone was depending on me to help. "Pitch, do you really believe that?" I asked quietly. "I mean, about love?"

He nodded discreetly, stopping his pacing. "You've put me in a simple position, Jack," he said.

"Have I?"

"You have. It's really not hard what I have to do now," he said.

My breath hitched slightly, worried that he'd gone into that scary fury. "Is that so?" I asked, putting on a brave face.

"It is, Jack, it is." I noted where he was standing; it was much farther away than when he'd landed in front of me. He'd done it on purpose… _So he_ doesn't _want to hurt me_, I thought. He brought his hand behind him, then brought it over his head, swinging his scythe at me. I yelped and swung an ice club in defense, but somehow his dust shattered my ice. I glanced at my ring and saw that the light was nearly out; kids just weren't believing in me anymore. My magic was wearing out, and so was I. I was growing tired of the fight and it had hardly started yet. Just when I thought I'd get cleaved by his ridged scythe, I heard metal clash on metal and saw two familiar swords being swung. Santa had found his way up here and was now fighting against Pitch. He glanced my way for a moment, not giving Santa enough hesitation time to attack. "You think you can stop me? My nightmares are all over the world!" he cried, fabricating a second scythe in an effort to gain the upper hand.

He immediately lost that advantage when Bunny came up from one of his burrows, tossing an egg-grenade at him. Pitch turned into a shadow and slid my way, taking form again right next to me. He grabbed me by my waist and jumped off the building, flying us away beyond their reach. "Jackie!" Bunny called after me, leaning over the edge. "Tooth, Pitch's got Jack!" I heard her gasp from a few rooftops over and head our way. Pitch dove between two buildings in an effort to lose Tooth, an effort which succeeded only because she was so far away. He set me down and hugged me tightly, and I could feel is heart pounding.

"Hey, it's going to be okay," I said, hugging him back. "But not if they see us like this. Come on, bring me up there." I released him and pushed him away, nodding up to one of the rooftops.

He sighed and nodded, kissing me before pulling me up to a rooftop and throwing me down roughly. I groaned, feeling a pain in my ribs. He turned himself into a shadow and slinked away, leaving me alone again. Santa came out of the chimney to my right and Bunny came from his burrow to my left. Tooth landed in front of me and kneeled beside me. "Jackie, are you okay?" she asked worriedly.

"Yeah," I groaned, sitting up. "Where did he go?"

Everyone shrugged.

"Well we have to–" I cut myself off, knowing where he'd be. "The kids," I said, jumping up.

Tooth followed me by air while Santa and Bunny followed by their own respective routes, and we found him just where I said he'd be: with the children. Seeing their chance to flea, they did, leaving us to encircle him. He spun slowly to get a good look at us all, keeping his gaze the longest on me. He smirked at me, and everyone suddenly charged at him. He just laughed and shadowed himself, slinking around the dark alley. I lost sight of him after a moment; we all did. Just when we thought he had left, Bunny cried, "Jack, behind you!"

I turned around and saw Pitch with his scythe above his head. I squealed and blocked it with my arms, but to my complete shock, it never touched me. I peeked out from my poor blockade and saw a golden tether wrapped around the staff. "Charlie?" I breathed, but it wasn't Charlie. Sandy floated above Pitch's head, and I gasped. "Sandy!"

"What?" Pitch growled. "How are you alive?"

Sandy smiled deviously at Pitch, then me. Without a second thought, he threw another golden tether at Pitch, then flung him in the air. I bit back a gasp and tried not to show fear or weakness. I heard him yelling and turned away, unable to watch him being manhandled like he was. Tooth looked at me curiously, but I just shook my head. I heard a terribly loud thump behind me and tentatively turned around to see Pitch on the ground at Sandy's feet. It took everything I had in me not to rush to his side; he was clearly unconscious. I blinked back tears as the Guardians rushed up to us, hugging Sandy and me and congratulating us.

"Nice job, Jackie," Bunny said, patting my shoulder.

I nodded, keeping silent. I definitely didn't feel accomplished. I wished more than anything that I could help him, that we could run away together and live quietly. But I knew that couldn't happen.

"Are you alright?" Bunny asked, looking into my face.

"Yeah, I'm just sore," I mumbled, not looking at him.

He narrowed his eyes at me, and I just shook my head and leapt away, seating myself on the edge of a rooftop. Even though I knew I wouldn't have much privacy for very long, I started to cry. This was definitely the worst day of my life. I probably wouldn't be able to see Pitch again.

I watched as he sat up from where he was on the ground, trapped in a tight circle of the Guardians. Santa lifted him up roughly, pushing him to the center of the circle. He looked around nervously, then his eyes flitted up toward me for a second, then he turned into a shadow and slinked away. I started to cry again, wishing he didn't have to leave.

My sobs were louder than I thought because within seconds, I felt a gentle hand on my shoulder. "Jackie, are you okay?" Tooth asked gently.

I just shook my head, hiding my face in my hands. Unwilling to explain, perhaps ever, I jumped off the rooftop and zoomed away, only to be drawn to some chaos below me in what looked like a park. I floated gently to the ground, landing soundlessly, behind Pitch, the Guardians somehow catching up to me and crashing through from the trees behind me.

"Plan on leaving soon?" Santa asked, stepping past me towards Pitch.

He spun around, then smirked. "No," he said, nodding past us. We all turned around to see some of his nightmares on a cliff above us.

"I wonder whose fear they're sniffing out," Santa said. "I know it's not mine."

"It's definitely not mine either," Bunny said, stepping up in front of me.

"Or mine," Tooth said, hovering past me to float beside Bunny.

Sandy threw up an exclamation point in agreement.

I honestly couldn't pipe up because I _was_ afraid. I was afraid that he was going to die and leave me alone, just like I used to be. From where I was, I could see Pitch, and his amber eyes grew wide, knowing it was his own fear.

The horses whinnied and pawed the ground, preparing for a charge. My heart started to pound as they jumped off, stampeding towards him. He turned and ran away, heading into the trees, but his nightmares were faster than him. I couldn't see what had happened past him being engulfed by the nightmares, but his scream made me sick to my stomach. "Pitch!" I screamed, suddenly not caring if anyone knew. I tried to push through between Bunny and Santa, but the latter caught me around my waist.

"Jacqueline, stop," he said, obviously confused.

"No, they're going to kill him!" I cried, trying violently to get out of his grip. I screamed again, no longer hearing Pitch. "Pitch!" I cried. "Pitch!" I screamed and kicked and thrashed violently, trying to break free of his grasp, but without success. "Pitch!" I screamed again, bringing the kids running into the clearing.

"What's wrong with her?" I heard Charlie ask.

After that, I remember nothing. Until I woke up on an overstuffed sofa in a familiar office… Santa's office. The one he'd brought me to before his all happened… Maybe it was just a dream, and I could still be with him.

But I knew better. I knew much better. I knew by the long faces of the Guardians that it wasn't a dream, and that Pitch was really dead. Or at least gone. For now.

"Jackie, what happened?" Tooth asked, sitting down beside me. Just thinking about it made me upset again, and I tried to explain everything that had happened between Pitch and me. By the time I was done, I knew I was a complete mess. I expected everyone to get on me about being with Pitch, for sleeping with him, for being in love with him, but no one said a malicious word to me. Instead, they were kind and understanding, Tooth giving me a long hug as I cried.

I heard faint whispers and everything suddenly went dark again.

I woke up days later, in a bed, with a glass of water on a table beside me. I sat up and my head nearly exploded. "Where am I?" I groaned.

"Oh, good, you're awake!" Tooth cried happily. "Now we can do the Guardian ceremony!"

"The what?" I looked around the room for the first time, seeing that all the Guardians where there.

"The Guardian ceremony!" she repeated. "Where you join us!"

"Oh…" I remembered what had happened however long ago and still felt depressed by it, but agreed to perform the ceremony anyway.

I took a simple vow. After becoming a Guardian, I didn't feel any different. It didn't bring back Pitch, and it didn't make me feel any better. But something that _did_ make me feel better was a small piece of news Tooth delivered to me afterwards. It was a secretive whisper that, while at first made me upset again, gave me some hope. _I suppose there is nothing better than cold and dark_, I thought to myself.

_*Author's Note*This is the last chapter, but there's an epilogue coming! So don't forget about me! Haha :)_


	6. Epilogue

As it turns out, the day I completed the Guardian Ceremony, Tooth told me I was pregnant. It made me incredibly upset for months, and I couldn't perform my duty as a Guardian for nearly four months. I was confined to my bed, drowning myself in my tears. Of all things to happen, this happened. Now. He wouldn't be there for me when the time came, he wouldn't be there to see his child grow up. I had no one to turn to when the baby took their first steps or said their first words. But then I realized that I _did_ have people I could turn to. My family, Santa, Bunny, Tooth, and Sandy. They were the people I could turn to when my baby spoke or walked.

After four months of crying and wishing Pitch were here, I finally got out of bed and motivated myself. I couldn't do my job very well, mostly because everyone forbade me to do much fighting when they had to. So I just sat around, looking at the globe. I could no longer wear the short shirt I used to; I had to wear a normal shirt that covered my belly. The only thing I was permitted to do was help Tooth and her Baby Fairies collect teeth. I enjoyed it sometimes. There was one time that Charlie lost another tooth in August, and of course, he woke up. Just my luck. He gaped at me once again standing in his room.

"Jack?" he said, sitting up and rubbing sleep out of his eyes.

"Hey," I said quietly, smiling at him.

"What happened to you? I mean around Easter time," he said.

I was quiet for a while, then said simply, "It's complicated."

"Tell me?"

I sighed and sat down on the edge of his bed. "The most important thing you need to know, not because I don't want to tell you but because you won't understand, is that Pitch was my friend and him dying, or whatever happened to him, really hurt me," I said.

He looked me over, his eyes lingering on my belly. I already had a bit of a bump, and it was definitely noticeable. "He was just your friend?" he asked knowingly. I could see in the darkness that he had a smirk on his face.

"To you, and for this purpose, yes, he was just my friend," I said with a small laugh.

"I hope you didn't get fat," he said, pointing to my stomach.

I laughed and shook my head. "No, I didn't get fat," I said.

"Okay, good," he said. "I hope to find a pretty girl like you, and it would be really bad if you got fat."

I blushed slightly and smiled. "Well I'm sure you'll find a pretty girl in time," I said. "Just remember, it's what's on the inside that counts."

He nodded and got up on his knees in front of me, then hugged me.

I laughed a little in surprise and hugged him back. "Alright, get back to sleep before you get me into trouble with Tooth!" I said, releasing him.

But he didn't let go. "How come you don't visit more?" he asked.

"Um…" I thought for a moment of a kind way to put it. "Charlie, I'm here more than you think," I said. "I can't visit you all the time because I'm actually not allowed. But I do come. Just remember, I'll always be in here." I gently pushed him away and poked his chest.

He nodded and looked at me. "Okay," he said. I reached behind my head and took a small snowflake from my clip, then blew it at him. It landed on his nose, like it had the first time, and he laid back down. "I hate when you do that," he mumbled sleepily.

"I know. Good night," I said, leaving his gift and taking his tooth.

"Night…"

I left his room and finished my night rounds, then went back to Tooth. "Here," I said, giving her all the teeth.

"Thank you," she said happily. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine," I sighed. "Tired."

"Well you're done for tonight so go rest," she said, pushing me out of the room.

I sighed again and left, looking forward to getting back into bed.

When Christmas came, I got sad again. I really missed Pitch at this point, especially because the baby was due in just a few weeks. I started crying a lot more again and at first, everyone tried cheering me up. But after a while, they just gave up and left me alone. Bunny came to visit me almost every day, bringing me much-needed chocolate bunnies and eggs. He was a lot nicer to me now after the battle we had with Pitch. I think it was mostly because he felt bad for me. But I didn't really care. I just wanted Pitch back.

And I almost got him.

The night before I had the baby, I woke up and looked around my empty room. Seeing a slight movement from the corner of my eye, I sat up–with great effort–and looked around. I saw a shadow move in a corner then dart to another corner. I smiled a little as the shadow climbed up to the ceiling. "I'll come back, Jackie, I promise." I heard the whisper right in my ear, and it gave me chills.

"I'll hold you to that," I whispered back. I felt a finger trail up the back of my neck, then down my jawline. For an instant, I thought I saw Pitch's yellow eyes in front of me, but they were gone as quickly as they had come. "Wait!"

The room was still and silent, and I was unsure if he'd left already.

"Pitch?"

I heard a whisper in my ear again, sending chills down my spine again. "Yes?"

"Kiss me?" I said quietly, hoping he could.

I felt light kisses on my neck, then my forehead, then my lips. It was amazing to kiss him again after so long of not hearing about him, seeing him, touching him. I knew he was really there and that it wasn't just his shadow because I felt his hand on my back. I put my hand on his chest and slid it up behind his neck, not wanting him to leave again. I wanted to ask him a million questions but knew there'd be no time.

He broke the kiss and softly caressed my cheek. "I'll be back," he whispered.

"Wait, but where are you going? Why can't you stay here with me?" I asked, tears welling in my eyes.

"Because, I just can't," he said, getting up. "I'll be back soon, and then we can run away together, okay?"

I nodded. "Okay," I said quietly, tears sliding down my cheeks.

He wiped them away gently and kissed me once more. "Be strong for me, okay? And the baby," he said, then turned into a shadow and left out the window.

"Pitch! Pitch!" I cried.

I stayed up the rest of the night crying, angry at him for leaving when he could have stayed but upset that he wasn't here. A part of me was also happy that he was alive, but yet another part of me wondered where he was and what he was doing.

I will always remember this day: January 9. That was the day our baby was born. Even though Pitch wasn't there to hold my hand like I'd seen in movies, I know he was there. His shadow was in my view the whole time.

I was glad everyone was there with me, Bunny, Tooth, Sandy, and Santa, because I know I couldn't have done it without any of them. They were all just as, maybe even more, excited than I was to have a new baby around. I was so happy when I found out it was a boy. I sat with him in my arms that night, just looking at him. It was still crazy to me what we could do, what Pitch and I did. The one time I had sex in my 317 years of existence (including my previous life before I was Jack Frost) is the one time I get pregnant. But I was still happy.

With Pitch's promise to come back and the baby in my arms, everything seemed better. Pitch's shadow crept from under the sofa I was on and he materialized himself beside me. I smiled and kissed him, then he looked at the baby. "What's his name?" he asked quietly.

"How about Daniel?" I said.

He looked up from the baby and smiled. "That's a good name," he said.

"I know," I said.

"We did a great thing together, Jackie," he said. "And we can do even more. You make me so crazy. I'll be back. The time is almost here–"

The door opened and Bunny came in. He looked at the two of us and Pitch turned into a shadow and slipped out the window. I smiled to myself and pulled my feet up on the sofa, holding Daniel closer to me as Bunny glared at me. "What could go better than cold and dark?" I asked him, smiling sinisterly at him.


End file.
